Maurice aisen



UNITED, STATES QEFHQE.

MAURICE AISEN, OF NEW YORK, N. "K, ASSIGNOR TO GRAIN SOAPS GORBORATION, OF DOVER, DELAVTARE, A CGRPORATIGN 03E DELAWARE.

PROCESS OF MAKING SOAP AND DETERGENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. so, 1920.

No Drawing. Original application filed November 29, 1919, Serial No. 339,406. Divided and. this applica- 'tion filed September so, 1920. Serial n 413,907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURICE AIsEN, a

sium carbonate, or any anhydrous salt of a similar chemical character.

Heretofore detergent compounds have been made from cereals, which are a mixture of starches (carbo-hydrates), proteins (nitrogenous matter) and glycerids of fatty acids (fats). These substances have been treated either individually, or in mixture with comparatively strong solutions of alkalis (caustic soda or caustic potash); In the case of starches or proteids the resulting combination created sodium or potassium salts of starches or proteids which are of a complex nature with a high molecular structure. The cereals used have been mostly corn, oats, wheat and rice, which are heavy in starches and are built up from a number of simpler'compounds of low molecular structure, polymerized in nature to a compound of high molecular structure.

In my improved process, I do not use cereals as such, but, first, by hydrolysis of the starches and proteids, I break down their high molecular structure into compounds of the same chemical family but of low molecular structure; that is, I de-polymerize the compounds of the starches and proteids, which are of high molecular structure, into compounds of low molecular structure of substantially the same chemical character.

The advantages of this are (1) that I create new and different compounds having new and different properties; (2) I obtain a product which will fix more alkali, as each simpler compound will fix an alkali, and, by weight, will combine with more alkali; (3) the simpler compounds have a more actlve acid groupment, that is, the alkali being stronger combined, will hydrolyze slower and be less likely to affect fabrics injuriously in washing; (4) the hydrolyzed simpler compounds are very active surface colloids, with great penetrability, and are quickly soluble in water.

The theory of washing by means of alkalifatty acids, especially those of sodium salts of-fatty acids, is'that when this compound is r'ussolved in water it hydrolyzes. The acid salts of the fatty acids are colloids of great surface act vity and penetrability, which separate and unloosen dirt and grease me chanically attached to the materialto be washed, and the free sodium hydroxid chemigally combines with the grease and the dirt; ihe acid saits of the fatty acid emulsifies these new formed sodium compounds which are soluble to a large extent in water; byv rinsing both the solubles and insolubles are removed.

The alkali-cereal compounds heretofore used, when hydrolyzed in water for washing purposes, revert back practically to their original alkali and starch. The starch, while a colloid, has little, or practically no, surface activity or washing efiicacy, and the efiiciency of such alkali-cereal compound is practically entirely dependent upon the efiicacy of the alkali contents of the compounds. The'hydrolyzed simplified cereal compounds, utilized by my process, are very active surface colloids'and also are quickly soluble in water, and therefore add greatly to the penetrability and eiiicacy of the product of my invention as a washing agent.

When an alkali is combined with the hydrolyzed simpler compounds of starches and proteids, the action is very violent; this is because these hydrolyzed simpler compounds are much more chemically active than the complex compounds of the starch and proteids. Because the action of the alkali on the simpler hydrolyzed compounds is so violent and since it would not be economical to use diluted alkalisolutions, it becomes essential to utilize some medium to reduce the violence of the chemical action and stop further conversion before carbonization when alkalyzing the simpler hydrolyzed compounds with strong alkali solutions. For this purpose, I have found that anhydrous sodium carbonate, or anhydrous potassium carbonate, or any anhydrous salt of similarcharacter, is well suited to produce the desired effect; these salts will reduce the violence ofthe chemical action. Other means of'asimilar character may be used Without departing from my invention. The Water of the caustic alkali solution is absorbed by the anhydrous salt. Then by raising the temperatureof the mass to the melting point of the carbonate, now hydrated, saponiiic'ation of the hydrolyzed mass takes place. ,7

My process may the following illustrations: The cereal (say 250 pounds) is heated, preferably in a steam jacketed drier, from one and one-half to four hours at a high temperature but below the carbonization temperature (the carboniza' tion temperature is substantially 180 centigrade), the mass being constantly stirred during the heating. By this treatment the cereal is hydrolyzed to compounds of simpler, or loiver,,molecular structure having a stronger acid nature than the original cereal. The higher the temperature (but below the carbonization temperature) .the shorter the time it will take to hydrolyze the cereal. The change of color, from yellow to brown, indicates When the desired chemical change has been accomplished. To 7 this hydrolyzed product Iadd anhydrous sodium carbonate (substantially 100 pounds) ivhich has the effect of stopping any further conversion. when the mass has cooled, I spray into the hydrolyzed sodium carbonate mixture caustic soda (substantially 15 to 55 pounds of 98% strength according to degree of hydrolyzation) which has been dissolved in Water (in substantially 135 pounds). The anhydrous sodium carbonate, being very avid for its Water of crystallization, absorbs the greater part of the moisture, leaving a very intimately mixed product, slightly alkalined, of the hydrolyzedcereal, sodium carbonate crystals and practically dry caustic soda. The temperature of the mass is then gradually raised to the melting point of the sodium carbonate crystals (below 100, centigrade) and maintainedat such tem-- perature for substantially one hour, at which timerall the cereal Will havebeen alkalined. Then all the sodium carbonate crystals be neutralized ,Wlth a substantially equivalent amonnt of fatty acid, the amount of fatty acid used depending upon the nature of the fatty acid. The product is an effi- -ient detergent compound.

Substantially the same result can be ac-- complished by a slight modification of'the above illustration, as for example: Into the cereal (say 250 pounds) is sprayed a dilute form (substantially 0.1 to 0.25%, figured at 100%) of hydrochloric acid, or nitric acid (substantially two pounds); then heating the mixture three-quarters to one and onehalf hours at a temperature substantially between 150 and 160 degrees centigrade; the time and temperature can be determined by the change in color of the mixture from yellow to brown, depending upon the amount be clearly understood bybonate (100 to 200 pounds, depending upon' the nature of the acid). This mixture is dry and the sodium carbonate will produce no chemical action, or practically none, except that it einulsifies the fatty acids and incorporates in the emulsion the hydrolyzed cereal. Dissolve caustic soda (substantially 15 to 55 pounds according to degree of hy drolyzation) in Water (in substantially 125 pounds) and add to the emulsified mass a sufficient amount of this caustic soda solution to complete the saponification of the fatty acid, the quantity depending upon the nature of the fatty acid. In this modification the anhydrous sodium carbonate may be omitted, for the reason that the fatty. acid will prevent a too violent chemical reaction of. the alkali and hydrolyzed cereal.

By still another modification the same result is accomplished, viz: To anhydrous sodium carbonate (say 100 lbs.) saturated with its Water of crystallization from a solution of caustic soda add hydrolyzed cereal (substantially 250 lbs'.), raise the temperature of the mass to the melting point of the sodium carbonat crystals (below 100 centigrade) and the mass will saponify, and free caustic Will be substantially absent; if a fatty acid soap is desired as a part of the mixture in the final product, add to the hydrolyzed cereal after it has been mixed With the saturatedsodium carbonate a fatty acid as desired and a sufiicient quantity of the solution of caustic soda; to saponify the fatty acid used.

not limit myself to the abovestated propor tions of the ingredients, or the order of. their mixture, or the quantity or strength of the acids and alkalis employed; good result-s may be obtained under my process by a considerable variancef-rom the proportions and strength of the ingredients used Nor do I limit myself to the stated chemical agents used as, as is Well known to chemists, other chemical agents may be substituted to produce the same results. The ingredients and chemical agents above stated, however, I have found, in practice, to be efficient, economical and productive of a high grade detergent.

This is a divisional application of my Npplication filed November 20, 1919, Serial 0. 339,406.

I claim:

The process of making soap from cereals consisting in hydrolyzing the cereal by sub the carbonization temperature for substanjecting it to a high temperature but below 15 tially two hours; adding a fatty acid in the proportion substantially of one part fatty acid to one and three-quarter parts cereal; adding caustic soda dissolved in water in the proportion substantially of one .part caustic 20 soda to five parts of cereal.

MAURICE AISEN. Witnesses:

SAMUEL S. WA'rsoN, F. A. SPAETH. 

